Scoring minutes after making your debut doesn’t guarantee a great career at a club, but Scott Sinclair gave himself an excellent start with his winning goal at Tynecastle. Leigh Griffiths lead-up work was magnificent. The Hearts defence had no answer.
Scott’s transfer took weeks (and a lot of money) to complete but it was the player’s tenacity to come to Celtic which decided the matter. I hear Celtic met Aston Villa’s initial target price early in the negotiations, but Villa decided to hold their cards for a few weeks in an attempt to induce other bidders. Scott was clear from the off that there was only one place he was going, but while Villa sat tight, there was a worry that another club would come in with a seriously large wage offer. The deal happened when the player continued with the mantra, “I’m going to Celtic or nowhere”. This is a guy who really wants to play for Celtic.
Apart from Tony Watt’s excellent chance yesterday, which should have brought Hearts level, the home side didn’t have a chance worthy of the name. A policy of throwing yourself to the ground inside the box doesn’t count, so we can be happy with how our defence is performing with Kolo Toure in the team. There’s still a long way to go, but the direction of travel is clear. Watt and Conon Sammon will cause a lot of damage in the Premiership this season, but on the evidence so far, Celtic should outperform their 15 point winning margin last term.
So disappointed to hear Dave King’s £30m – £50m overinvestment isn’t going to happen until January. This guy has been so transparent. Honestly, they get what they deserve, there’s no helping or telling them. They backed a hostile takeover with a fantasy manifesto, while putting the thumbscrews on their club, to the extent it had to go cap in hand to its only source of funding, and hawk their commercial rights in the process.
As we’ve said here for years, the only people who can really damage a football club are its own supporters, in this case, with their inability to consider the consequences of the next action.
Running a football club is hard (serious understatement alert). You’re going to enjoy how Dave King finds this out.
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Hot Smoked on 8th August 2016 10:29 am
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0141 230 7967
vfr800a8
I’d go with that but would actually have Tierney in for O’Connell. My one concern with the formation is Moult and Ainsworth are very quick on the break. Would Sinclair and Forrest cover properly?
Hot Smoked on 8th August 2016 10:29 am
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Oops – typo. 0141 230 1967
Anyone know if Man Coty would take a bid on Patrick Roberts and if so what they would need?
Is he here as a development exercise or is he surplus to their requirements?
He looks top drawer to me but not sure he’ll push his way in to Man City any time soon.
He’d be worth busting the bank for – or better still shift 10 out to help fund his purchase.
Correction on my earlier update on Dawson Lundy.
I’d been keeping track via his granda,a guid CQNer,but as I gathered everything into one post,I overlooked one factor.
Timeline.
He is currently undergoing his major op,where the team are repositioning his organs into something more suitable. It’s planned to take five hours,and is roughly two hours in.
Sorry for the confusion,and continued thanks from the family for your good wishes.
BBC Scotland ditch Championship Highlights
GreatestLeagueInTheWorld CSC
CultsBhoy – sees right through Lawwell and the Board on 8th August 2016 11:13 am
I reckon Roberts would cost 10 million
That’s if he wanted to come permanently.
Davidopoulos on 8th August 2016 11:13 am
vfr800a8
I’d go with that but would actually have Tierney in for O’Connell. My one concern with the formation is Moult and Ainsworth are very quick on the break. Would Sinclair and Forrest cover properly?
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Tierney got a couple of bad knocks yesterday so I’d give him a wee rest. I think that as much playing time as possible for O’Connell beside Toure to keep up his tutelage for the against Hapoel Be’er Shiva.
The “new” James Forrest and Sinclair will track back. For the 2nd goal yesterday, it was Sinclair in our penalty box who played the ball to Griffiths and then ran about 80 yards for the return!
Timaloy29
£6m if he wanted to
Come?
Would that be doable you think?
Failing that Zod give Forest another go
JF is an infuriating player but has the ability to go a couple of gears up if his head is right.
Mmmm .
Mancini has been ” mutually consented ” at basket case Inter .
New man at the helm is Frank De Boer .
Sicilian radio had this to say .
” Mancini always looked very elegant standing watching the game , shame his Inter team always looked dishevelled”
winning captain
before Tony’s first home game as manager I meet a friend who then worked as an agent. he said, as early as that, that the people at CP (never told me who) were amazed at how little he was doing or seemed to want to do and that they wondered why he had taken the job.
after that my impression was that he was the architect of his own downfall. it may also clarify why Celtic were so keen to push the gardening leave bit.
As regards young Paddy Roberts, I think the great Desmondo should test the waters with a reasonable bid for the lad. He could give Celtic a soft loan, if that is required. He’d be almost guaranteed to see a return on his investment in 3-4 years of several million pounds.
vfr800a8
Good point about Tierney. He seems to be like the rubber man – keeps getting back up to carry on playing but, yeah, a wee rest might be good. O’Connell I remain unconvinced about, sometimes looks assured, sometimes not so much. He is young though, so whatever he can learn from someone of Toure’s experience will help him.
I was half joking/half serious in my earlier post – why are BBC analysing Barton’s every touch but barely a peep about Toure. Toure won the EPL, FA Cup, FA Sheild, African Cup of Nations, Runner up in CL Final.
Barton won….?
It’s ok – I know the answer really.
DAVIDOPOULOS
Funny of the weekend was Ali Crawford nutmegging Barton and leaving him for dead:)))
Phil’s up …
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/ripping-up-the-sevco-script/
Peter Lawell (DD) paid Weat Brom £2.5m for Mogga, pretty expensive to be hung out to dry
starry plough
I was pretty impressed by Ali Crawford (only saw the first half) but he showed a fair bit of quality on the ball.
SOUTHOFTUNIS
Mancini has always had a high opinion of his abilities,as a player and as a manager.
IMO,he was quite right to do so.
I doubt he needs the money anymore and I’m not sure he can be bothered wi the hassle either.
He could easily take the vanity option of talking head and he’d be a vast improvement on most who take in a fortune for adding sod all to the proceedings.
But will that ego demand one last chance at glory?
He has been a winner everywhere he has been,as a player and a manager. He’s a bawhair younger than me. If I had his money,I’d have chucked it ages ago.
Never mind his money,I’d settle for his good looks,lucky bassa has got it all!!!!
“As we’ve said here for years, the only people who can really damage a football club are its own supporters”
Paul, cannot agree with that statement. Clubs which have gone to the wall, or got perilously close to it, Celtic included, has been due to the board running them.
Whilst TRFC have the most spiteful and vile support follow following them, they died because their board (s) killed them.
Sure the supporters can moan about lack of success, and scream for investment , but only a weak and compliant board will submit to the demands.
In our own case, I feel we are on course to re emerge as a top 32 European side, and perhaps even top 16 on a fairly regular basis.
The board seem to have woken up to the fact that investment in the team will have the supporters responding with their hard earned, and the rewards will render the investment justified.
It has to be sustainable of course, and every season requires a cold hard look at the financials to ensure it IS sustainable.
The qualifier for CL is absolutely critical to our next few seasons. Make it through, and we will see our highest income since Seville. That will allow the board to continue the investment, and accelerate us towards that top 16.
Fail to make it, and there will be reduced investment, correctly so, but still at a level that will still propel us towards our target, albeit at a slower rate. I think the support will understand and back the judgement of the board.
The SPL, is, despite the calls from many to find another league, is our platform to the CL, every year.
There is a pot of £30m or so ( prize money and group match packages, tv etc) waiting for a Scottish club every year.
Only one Scottish club can realistically get their hands on it, assuming the investment is reasonable. That club is obviously Celtic.
The appointments and signings of Brendan, Toure, Sinclair, Dembele tells me we have adopted a calculated investment plan. The fans have responded.
I’m not interested in perceived board failings of yesteryear anymore. I’m looking forward to supporting this board, including PL, and joining the other 60,000 supporters on a road back where we feel we belong.
As a united club, we are an incredibly strong force. Certainly too strong for any other Scottish club, and in my opinion, with the potential to be in amongst the top 32 in Europe, consistently.
As I say, this qualifier will determine the rate of progress at which it happens. It WILL happen though, assuming the board deliver and the support responds.
Davidopoulos on 8th August 2016 11:26 am
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That’s why O’Connell needs game time. KT was the same last season when he came in. Needs a wee bit of time and nursing along with Toure.
CultsBhoy – sees right through Lawwell and the Board on 8th August 2016 11:22 am
If we could get Roberts for 6 million it would a no-brainer. We know he’s good and we know he fits in the squad AND if the day comes where we need to sell him to the EPL his home-grown status would be a bonus
I suppose that 6 million could happen if Pep doesn’t fancy him. I suppose they have spent 100+ million on wingers like Sane, Sterling etc
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
Do you have any evidence to the contrary?
The manager can be put on a disrepute charge for speaking out of turn.
The board were the only option to tackle the press and officialdom.
Did they?
Did they fuck. They hung him out to dry.
Hail Hail CQNers
POGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES on 8TH AUGUST 2016 10:27 AM
Thank you for the kind words and I concur with your appraisal of Captain Morgans in Hayes.
I really enjoyed our chat and drink and the guys and girls around us the same. I might add you are the first CQNer I’ve met who isn’t a relative.
Very good performance from the Celts and a preview of what we might come to expect from MIBS as the season draws on.
Lovely goal from Scott Sinclair, MOTM performance from Broonie and 3 very welcome points from a difficult away fixture.
Have a good trip to Brunei big man and Hail Hail
SofTunis-‘Out Of Left Field – Where Soul Meets Country’ – more clever cloggery from ole Ace Records.
File under ‘mostly completely bonkers, but in a good way’
What IS the point in arguing about ex-players/managers who, for one reason or another, didn’t work out for us? Sometimes it’s just bad timing or just a bad fit. Move on, look forward.
vfr800a8
Alternatively, if Izzy has any part to play in the squad this season (still question marks) could he not do with some game time on the left to get up to speed?
Will try a few points on the £1.50 charge for printing your own tickets at home, for a wee bit of balance.
Celtic’s season cards and access are supplied by Fortress GB, biggest UK supplier who service Wembley, Old Trafford, most of EPL in fact. NFC (Near Field Communication) technology in the cards, you’ll see FortressGB emblem on the new turnstile readers as you click through, they provide the hardware. (replacing TeamCard over a year ago, the only other major player). This is a supply contract, the estate of readers and cabling throughout the stadium bought or leased from them. All connected to a database and each ST is cleared for one time access as the matchday database is loaded to the server.
Pay as you go tickets are added to the server as they are bought. ST’s are activated for non ST matches when bought. The software for matchday tickets is not provided by FortressGB, this not what they do, it is provided by an online ticketing provider. Eticketing (division of Ticketmaster) for Celtic, which integrates with the server to provide access for tickets bought. Unlike the hardware estate this resource is not paid for or owned by the Club, it is paid for by people who use it to buy tickets, ie the cost is passed on to you. The call centre, the online server, are paid for by eticketing and they spread the cost of that per ticket. They allow Celtic Ticket office unlimited access and so if you go to the stadium you pay no charge as the transaction is handled on internal servers, handled by internal employees.
Eticketing gauge the amount of tickets they will sell and spread the cost over every seat. Potentially a relatively big calculation, lots of estimated data on fixtures, crowds etc.
So if they anticipate 1,000 ticket sales they anticipate a return of £1,500 at £1.50 a ticket for them to staff the call centre, have the techies load the match to the server site, manage the flow and do all the IT side, as well as feedback the CRM data to the Club.
If that 1,000 seats are sold to folk who buy in bunches of 4 then only 250 transactions take place. Many say if should be £1.50 per transaction, not per ticket. This reduces Eticketing’s revenue to £375 on the same number of ticket sales.
Now the reality is the £1.50 is not part of a detailed calculation on Celtic’s fixtures and attendances, it is based on Eticketing/Ticketmaster’s gargantuan structure across countless events and an industry wide evaluation on what the consumer will pay. The next call the call handler will take may be for a concert or another team, their screen attached the headset will have let them know what line you called in on and how to answer your call as if it is Celtic’s ticket office.
So Eticketing de-risk a huge part of it by charging a fee per ticket, regardless of how many batches they are sold in to ensure the revenue covers their cost and profit.
To lower the cost to the ticket purchaser Celtic would have to find an equally reliable but cheaper alternative. It is not a huge market of suppliers as the costs are genuinely very high, staff and technology. Alternatively buy the service in on a contract annually, but that would just make its way into higher face value ticket prices.
The final alternative is hard ball negotiation. To activate a smart card uses very little resource at their end. Negotiate a tiered pricing structure, we are a massive, massive client because of the iteration of fixtures. Not the £24 booking fee I paid on indiegogo for Noel Gallagher at the Hydro for the wife’s Christmas, but iteration of £1.50s makes Celtic a huge client.
No home draws in the Cup, no Europe, poor crowds are a big risk for eticketing. Huge ST numbers, most on the DD home scheme the club can activate internally are also risks. Hence they take the £1.50 per ticket and that’s the quid pro quo.
For the record I think it should be tiered on price and type, and not a flat rate, but that’s a bit of insight anyway that might be utterly banal.
DAVIDOPOULOS
Decent player in a poor team, could do well at somewhere like Dundee or even Aberdeen..
starry plough
Yeah wasn’t suggesting him be a target for Celtic….the Willo Flood Transfer Window does not need to be renamed…
DAVIDOPOULOS
I din’t think you were mate, growing up in Hamilton I have a couple of die hard Accies fans as mates, they rave about young Mr Crawford, has a decent dig on him too.
I like Accies a well run local club, my nephew was up there for years and he loved it and the way the young team were treated.
HH
Davidopoulos on 8th August 2016 11:47 am
If you play Izzy, you need to go 4-4-2 IMHO. He’s not defensively disciplined enough for 3-5-2; but it’s a good shout to keep him ticking over in a 4-4-2, and have a midfield 4 of Forrest, brown, Johannsen and Sinclair.
DBBIA @ 11 45 .
Yes – pal sent me a CDR — I gave it a twirl and liked it .
I really enjoyed this –
Heartworn Highways DVD – a mighty fine documentary – Highly recommended .
CYRENEAN on 8TH AUGUST 2016 11:40 AM
Thanks, I’m not looking forward to the journey but I am looking forward to being reunited with my wife.
Yesterday was one of those days that will live in the memory. I had a great day out and met some wonderful like-minded people. I think wee Rab could tell a fair few tales, it was a pity he left early. In summary, great company, good craic and good beer. And not a bad wee sing song ;-)
I will definitely revisit Captain Morgan’s the next time I’m in the area.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
This looks interesting – documentary on Br Walfrid
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14668326.Scots_actor_to_make_documentary_about_founder_of_Celtic_Football_Club/?ref=mr&lp=8
Peter Howson’s portrait of Br Walfrid is on display in St Mary’s in the Calton; well worth a look. there is also the Celtic mosaic in the porch which is fantastic.
Mʏ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴘᴀʏ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴡᴀs $85ᴏᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴄᴇ I ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ………………… This is wha¬ I ᴅᴏ… ✧…✧…✧.. http://www.BuzzMom80.com
Turning out to be a great Celtic August with four home games in Paradise, two CL ties, Motherwell and Aberdeen. Super.
Add in some excellent acquisitions and a fair chance of group stage qualification, what’s not to like.
Loved seeing Griff reprising the Lubo role to SS’s Henke. Fantastic goal, even Mrs EC67 appreciated it’s quality.
Always good to be a Tim but really special at the moment.
Enjoy this month as next month we have the stench of the New klub and their attendant horde to endure.
Eurochamps67
ThesearethegoodtimesCSC
Och yer bum Flo…
Flo.20
Have you tried Hun Media. I hear they could use a few Bob.